We geese love photography and really love fancy equipment. So we're biased! We've tried the inexpensive digital cameras. You can get some good shots, but often the less expensive cameras are slow and it's hard to get a shot that isn't blurry because the shutter speed is so slow. For the best shots, we recommend the following features:

Adjustable ISO/ASA - This feature is derived from 35mm cameras.  35mm film comes in several speeds from 100-1600. The speed of film refers to how sensitive the film is to light. The more sensitive the film is, the less light you need to make a great photo. Most cheap digital cameras use an equivalent of 200 speed.  This is a general purpose speed great for bright indoor shots (particularly with flash) or most outdoor shots. However, if you're shooting in low light or the subject is further from the camera than the flash will reach, you really need to be able to adjust the speed. We shot the ceiling of the St Peter in Chains church in Rome on ASA 1000 without flash and it turned out great (it looks just like we saw it). Other folks tried with their cheap digital cameras and got overflashed ceilings or too dark ceilings.

Usually, a camera that will allow you to adjust the ISO speed will calculate the corresponding shutter speed. Higher ISO will require a faster shutter speed to get a well exposed photo. What does this mean If you are trying to do a sports photo where there's action and you want to "freeze" the action, you need a fast shutter speed. Similarly if you are shooting a waterfall. If you want to "stop" the water, use a fast shutter speed. If you want the beautiful blur of white water, you want to use a slow shutter speed (or a lower ISO).

Viewfinder - Yes, we know that everyone loves the little LCD! But did you realize that if you're using the LCD to compose your shot, you're more likely to get a blurry picture? When you're holding the camera away from your face to look at the view finder, you are not using a steady brace position. This causes slight camera shake - enough to cause your photo to be blurry. If you want better, sharper photos, learn to use the viewfinder!

Buffer (or the ability to shoot several pictures in a row) - Most cheap cameras don't have a buffer. This means that you have to wait until the photo is written to the memory card before you can take the next photo. If you're trying to take pictures of a special event or a sporting event, you want to be able to take a few photos in series so that you don't "miss" the shot. It's disappointing to miss that great expression because you were waiting for the previous photo to get written to the card!

Zoom - a modern convenience that we wouldn't live without! Just be sure to check the minimum focus distance. For example, if the minimum focus distance is 4ft, you will not be able to shoot a sharp photo if your camera is closer than 4 ft from the subject. This is true of a zoom lens or a regular lens. The zoom lens may give you the "illusion" of a close shot because you can magnify a photo while remaining at least 4ft (or the minimum focus distance) from the subject.